God, What Do I Do? Making Wise Decisions in Uncertain TimesSample

The Ripple Effect of Obedience

In Judges 1:21, we read about what the Benjaminites were doing at this time. They did not drive out the Jebusites who were living in Jerusalem. Again, we see a pattern of disobedience among God’s people. Why? Were they afraid, lazy, complacent, or rebellious? Their success was ensured if they would just do their part. Why didn’t they fully follow the instructions God gave them?

Why don’t we fully obey Him?

Our obedience, or lack thereof, does not only affect us but impacts those around us, including future generations. We are still dealing with the consequences of Adam and Eve sinning against God (Gen. 3).

The Decapolis region, which is east and southeast of the Sea of Galilee, is where the demon-possessed man was delivered by Jesus, and the demons were cast into the herd of pigs that jumped off a cliff and drowned. After his healing, Jesus told this man he couldn’t come with Him. He instructed the man to stay in the area he lived in and tell his people about the great things Jesus had done for him and the mercy he had been shown. Mark 5:20 reveals that this man obeyed. And not just partially.

Don’t underestimate the power of one person’s obedience and the power of a changed life by Christ.

Later on, Jesus returned to this region (Mark 6:53–56). It is clear that the once demon-possessed man had obeyed His instructions because many, many people ran to Jesus for healing. This man’s obedience had a ripple effect, blessing his community and coming generations, including us. Jesus’s no ushered in a greater yes!

God sent Jesus to redeem us from eternal separation from Him, and if we believe He is the Savior and accept Him as our Lord, He gives us mercy, forgiveness, and grace. That is amazing and undeserved! Yet, we can still experience natural consequences for our sins. This is not because God is unloving; in fact, it is quite the opposite. When we feel the weight of our poor choices, it motivates us to repent and change. The struggle refines and matures us.

We also experience blessings in our lives as a result of our obedience. Through Jesus we can receive the blessing of the forgiveness of our sins and eternal life with Him instead of the grave consequence of carrying the guilt of our sins: eternal separation from Him.

Jesus has laid out clear instructions in His Word for how we are to live. When we are not sure what we are to do next for a job, in a relationship, or about a battle in our lives, we can run to Jesus and fully follow the commands He has already given us. Let’s decide to obey God fully, not halfway!

Our obedience always has a ripple effect, influencing our family line and our community for good—and maybe even an entire region of people who would not have heard about Jesus otherwise.

How has a ‘no’ from God ushered in a greater ‘yes’ to God in your life?